Workers from Embridge skim oil off the surface of the Kalamazoo River after a pipeline ruptured in Marshall, Mich. on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. / ANDRE J. JACKSON/Detroit Free Press

Written by

Christopher Behnan

Daily Press & Argus

Road and utility damage in Howell Township believed to have been caused by Enbridge Energy LP could reach $1 million, Mike Craine, Livingston County Road Commission managing director, said last week.

Howell Township and county road officials believe Enbridge breached water and sewer lines at the intersection of Burkhart Road and Grand River Avenue while installing new pipeline as part of the company’s Line 6B replacement project. At the time, Enbridge was boring under the roadway while extending the pipeline.

The breached water line released 150,000 gallons of water over 45 minutes, Craine said. The utility-line accident created sinkholes on the roadway, where motorists often travel up to 65 mph to beat a traffic light at the intersection, Craine said.

The damage required about $100,000 in emergency roadwork, which the Road Commission paid for, Craine said.

Craine said it will likely cost a total of $500,000 to $1 million to complete all road and utility-line repairs. He said there will be a meeting with Enbridge to review the damage costs.

He said it’s clear the company’s contractor hit the marked water and sewer lines, causing the damage. The site has multiple additional gas and utility lines, as well as communications lines, under the pavement.

“We’re just trying to fix the problem,” Craine said.

Enbridge, meanwhile, has not confirmed whether it will accept financial responsibility for any of the damage.

For now, the damaged portion of the sewer line has been abandoned and sewage is being hauled from a pump station to the treatment plant. The damaged portion of the water line has been plugged to halt the leaking.

Howell Township Trustee Mike Tipton noted that the township hopes to see nearby land developed that currently has delinquent utility-assessment taxes. Tipton said he hopes for a quick resolution to the damage to keep the area attractive to residential developers. He said the intersection also is a part of popular route to the nearby outlet mall.

The line breaks are not impeding water or sewer service, but they will require long-term fixes that Enbridge will most likely pay for, Township Treasurer Jonathan Hohenstein said last week.

Hohenstein said repairing the water line will likely be inexpensive, but that the extent of damage to the sewer line hasn’t been determined.

The township may consider purchasing or leasing property to reroute the water line through to avoid running it underneath the roadway.

Enbridge spokesman Jason Manshum last week said the company hasn’t determined what caused the line breaks or who is responsible to pay for fixing them.

“We are working with the county to identify the cause and solution,” Manshum said.

Enbridge is completing a $286 million, 50-mile crude-oil-and-petroleum pipeline-replacement project on its Line 6B from Stockbridge in Ingham County to Ortonville in northern Oakland County, including through a portion of Livingston County.

The company is in the final stages of the project, and it expects to complete restoration in the county this year, depending on weather.